Linsanity: Now a Vehicle to Sell Volvos

Jeremy Lin, who is no longer the world’s most important person, signed a two-year deal today to become Volvo’s “brand ambassador.” His advertising will focus on the U.S and China, which makes a lot of sense: Lin is the son of Taiwanese immigrants, and Volvo is owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. According to The Wall Street Journal, the company is hoping to increase Volvo sales in China to 800,000 cars by2020.

Freeman Shen, senior VP of Volvo Car Corp., drove the connection home with a rather sweeping statement: “For our region, Jeremy Lin is the pride of the whole Chinese population, and we are excited to work withhim.”

Lin added his two cents with the kind of statement corporate sponsors make when they are trying to make two disparate things (basketball, cars) seem as perfect together as peanut butter andjelly:

“You may not immediately see the connection between me and Volvo. But both of us are striving to be better and smarter at what we do, and to do it our ownway.”